Electroplating method for producing watch dial indicia



Jan. 11, 1966 A. VOGT ETAL 3,228,861

ELECTROPLATING METHOD FOR PRODUCING WATCH DIAL INDICIA Filed Nov. 50, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 7

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ELECTROPLATING METHOD FOR PRODUCING WATCH DIAL INDICIA Filed Nov. 30, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,228,861 ELECTROPLATKNG METHOD FOR PRODUCING WATCH DIAL INDICIA Andre Vogt, 63 Rue Jacob-Brandt, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, and Pierre Edouard Beyeler, Geneva, Switzerland; said Beyeler assignor to said Vogt Filed Nov. 30, 1960, Ser. No. 72,658 6 Claims. (Cl. 204-18) Various methods have already been proposed for the manufacture of elements carrying symbols in relief, for example, dials having time-symbols or indicia in the case of time-pieces. For instance, it is a well-known fact that it is possible to incorporate symbols having threaded projections or other projections on a finished dial plate when the latter is finished or else to bond such symbols onto the dial plate. It has also been proposed to weld the symbols electrically or through the use of supersonic waves on a dial. Lastly, various methods are known which consist in executing the dials on which the symbols are produced in relief through an electrolytic deposit of metal inside a mold of plastic material which is rendered conductive by means of a metal coat. This latter method has however the drawback of requiring, for the production of dials with gold applications, an amount of gold which is much higher than that which is actually necessary for the formation of the symbols alone.

Our invention has for its object a method for producing such an element carrying symbols in relief, for example dials. The new method does not have the abovementioned drawbacks. The expressions symbo or indicia are intended to convey the meaning of digits, letters, small ornaments or the like carried in relief at different points on a supporting surface particularly a face surface.

According to our invention, the finished surface of the supporting element is set in contact with a mold provided with impressions of the symbols or indicia to be formed and secured on the face surface of a dial. The impressions are covered by the face surface on said dial element after which the surfaces of the impressions are rendered conductive and the actual symbols are formed by galvanically or electrolytically filling said impression in a manner such that the symbols adhere to the element. The mold is then removed.

We have illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings two preferred embodiments of our improved method, but said embodiments should however not be construed in a limiting sense. In said drawmgs:

FIGS. 1 to 8 show the successive stages of our improved method according to a first embodiment,

F168. 9 to 14 are views of the successive stages in the case of a second embodiment.

Turning to the first embodiment, we first produce a mold of plastic material 1, for instance, through molding or through cutting polystyrene. The mold is provided with impressions or openings 2 the shape of which is the same as that of the symbols to be carried by the dial 3. The latter is housed inside a recess formed in the mold in a manner such that its upper surface may register intimately with the mold and with the lower open ends of the impressions as shown in FIG. 2. The dial is finished which means in particular that it has been subjected to the conventional galvanic treatments generally performed for the finishing of clockwork dials.

The upper surface of the mold facing away from the dial is then covered or coated, together with the surfaces of the mold defining inner surfaces of the impressions with a conductive layer made preferably of copper and o tained through deposition of metal in vacuo or through 3,228,861 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 ICC chemical reduction. The copper layer is illustrated at 4, in FIG. 3. Obviously other metals may be used as well, for instance silver or gold. The conductive layer is then removed from the upper surface of the mold as shown in FIG. 4 so as to leave the copper layer only inside the impressions. A galvanic treatment is then applied in order to deposit metal and fill the metal-coated impressions with metal and to obtain the result illustrated in FIG. 5, i.e., a dial carrying solid projections forming the indicia or symbols 5 permanently bonded thereto. The metal deposited may 'be for example, gold and it is deposited obviously only inside the impressions since the latter are alone conductive. The impressions are furthermore connected electrically with one another through the dial, which furthers the execution of the electric connections.

The dial is finished by polishing or surfacing of the upper surface of the symbols 5 (FIG. 6) so as to give said symbols their final appearance. The presence of the mold cuts off any risk of damage to the dial at their stage and allows securing readily the Whole arrangement on a suitable treating machine.

The dial is finally lifted, for example, or removed by melting or dissolution of the mold which is made of suitable fugitive material, and there is obtained thus a dial as shown in FIG. 7 in which the surface is finished and the symbols 5 have also assumed their final appearance. The side surfaces of the symbols or indicia are provided furthermore with the metallized layer 4 which give them an appearance which may consequently be different from that of the outer or upper surfaces of said symbols. Of course, the metal layer may also be removed off the side surfaces if desired so that the symbols may appear as entirely constituted by a single metal as shown in FIG. 8.

According to the second embodiment of our improved method, it is proposed to execute an element carrying skeleton symbols or indicia -i.e. symbols such as the digits 0, 6, 8 and 9, of which the outline cuts out inner independent sections as in the case of the digit 0 the center of which is always out out.

The mold illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 (FIG. 10 being a cross-section through line 1010 of FIG. 9) is provided with an impression in the shape of the digit 6. The central section 12 formed inside the impression is connected mechanically with the mass of the mold outside the impression through two short webs 13 and also through the lower part of the mold body. Said webs are comparatively narrow and are located only in the bottom of the impressions. The mold may be obtained, for instance, through starnping by means of a punch or else through casting.

The impressions having been formed, the upper surface 14 of the mold in which surface the impressions are formed is set over the supporting element such as the dial 15 as illustrated in FIG. 11. The now outwardly facing section 15 of the mold is then removed down to the level defined by the line AA, so as to expose the inner ends of the impressions formed in said mold, while retaining the major part of the webs 13 which are left in position. Thus, the central section 12 of the mold remains rigid with the remainder of the latter and the comparatively reduced thickness of the webs does not oppose the electrolytic formation of the symbols 17.

Obviously, the mold is rendered conductive as precedingly by a deposit of a conductive metal in vacuo or through a chemical reduction, for example, before it is set over the dial.

In further modifications of our invention, which are not illustrated, the means for securing the elements such as the dials to the body of the mold may be obtained in any other suitable manner, for instance, by means of reinforcing wires.

In a further modification, which is not illustrated, it is also possible to provide a protective layer over the element in which layer openings in the shape of symbols to be obtained are produced through stamping or cutting.

It is also possible to machine the surface of the dial or the like element which is to carry the symbols to obtain a better anchoring of the latter. Thus, it is possible to produce thereon cuts, bosses, notches or recesses. We may also provide for polishing while the mold or the protective layer is still in position.

Obviously, the finishing of the symbols through surfacing or milling, may be obtained either before the removal of the mold in order to not risk any injuring of the surface of the element which is to carry the symbols or else, it may be performed after removal of the mold.

Our invention allows producing elements carrying symbols or the like made of gold and in particular dials for time-pieces, while using only the amount of metal actually required for such indicia or symbols. The dial plates are finished independently and need no longer be made through galvano-plastic methods, but through mere stamping or pressing.

What we claim is:

1. A process for simultaneously forming and securing indicia in relief on the face of a Watch or clock dial and the like comprising, providing a dial element made of an electrically conductive material and having a major surface corresponding to the face of said dial on which said indicia are to be simultaneously formed and secured, finishing said dial face, providing a mold made of a nonconductive material and having at least one mold opening extending through said mold for forming at least one indicium on said face and having a surface for intimately contacting said major surface, positioning said mold with said surface thereof in intimate contact with said major surface of said dial element in position for forming said indicium on said major surface, depositing metal in said mold opening electrolytically and continuing said deposition to form on said dial element a projection of solid cross section permanently bonded to said dial element and conforming to the surfaces of said mold defining said mold opening to form said indicium, removing said mold from said dial element major surface without substantially removing from the dial element the metal deposited electrolytically within said mold opening, and prior to depositing said metal in said mold opening, depositing on the surfaces of said mold defining said opening a conductive layer in electrical contact with said major surface of said dial element, and subsequently to electrolytically depositing said metal in said impressions, finishing the upper face of said solid projection formed by said deposition to provide a finished upper face of said indicium.

2. A process according to claim 1, in which said mold is made of fugitive material which is removable without disturbing said dial face or said indicium.

3. A process according to claim 1, in which said mold has a plurality of mold openings therein and in which metal is deposited electrolytically in said openings simultaneously to form a plurality of indicia in relief per manently bonded on said dial element.

4. A process according to claim 1, in which the electrolytical deposition of metal in said mold opening is continued to substantially completely fill said opening.

5. A process according to claim 4, in which said finishing of the upper face of said solid projection is effected mechanically before removal of said mold from said dial element whereby the finished face of the dial element is protected.

6. A process according to claim 1, in which said mold has an exposed face opposite said surface intimately contacting said dial element and in which said conductive layer is simultaneously deposited on the mold surfaces defining said opening and on adjacent portions of said exposed face of the mold, and a portion of said mold comprising said exposed face is thereafter mechanically removed to remove said conductive layer deposited on said exposed face while leaving said conductive layer deposited on the surfaces defining said opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 924,020 6/ 1909 Walter 204-8 1,598,027 8/ 1926 Tripet et al 264-251 1,821,561 9/1931 McFarland 204l8 1,963,834 6/1934 Decker 20418 2,059,520 11/1936 Harshberger 264-251 2,595,142 4/ 1952 Herck 264251 2,642,390 6/1953 Garofano 204-18 2,728,693 12/1955 Cado 20415 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,374 1842 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Prine: Product Engineering, volume 19, No. 12, pages 86-89, December 1948.

ALLEN CURTIS, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH REBOLD, Examiner.

JOHN H. MACK, WINSTON A. DOUGLAS, R.

GOOCH, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A PROCESS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY FORMING AND SECURING INDICIA IN RELIEF ON THE FACE OF A WATCH OR CLOCK DIAL AND THE LIKE COMPRISING, PROVIDING A DIAL ELEMENT MADE OF AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL AND HAVING A MAJOR SURFACE CORRESPONDING TO THE FACE OF SAID DIAL ON WHICH SAID INDICIA ARE TO BE SIMULTANEOUSLY FORMED AND SECURED, FINISHING SAID DIAL FACE, PROVIDING A MOLD MOADE OF A NONCONDUCTIVE MATERIAL AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE MOLD OPENING EXTENDING THROUGH SAID MOLD FROM FORMING AT LEAST ONE INDICIUM ON SAID FACE AND HAVING A SURFACE FOR INTIMATELY CONTACTING SAID MAJOR SURFACE, POSITIONING SAID MOLD WITH SAID SURFACE THEREOF IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH SAID MAJOR SURFACE OF SAID DIAL ELEMENT IN POSITION FOR FORMING SAID INDICIUM ON SAID MAJOR SURFACE, DEPOSITING METAL IN SAID MOLD OPENING ELECTROLYTICALLY AND CONTINUING SAID DEPOSITION TO FORM ON SAID DIAL ELEMENT A PROJECTION OF SOLID CROSS SECTION PERMANENTLY BONDED TO SAID DIAL ELEMENT AND CONFORMING TO THE SURFACES OF SAID MOLD DEFINING SAID MOLD OPENING TO FROM SAID INDICIUM, REMOVING SAID MOLD FROM SAID DIAL ELEMENT JMAJOR SURFACE WITHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVING FROM THE DIAL ELEMENT THE METAL DEPOSITED ELECTROLYTICALLY WITHIN SAID MOLD OPENING, AND PRIOR TO DEPOSITING SAID METAL IN SAID MOLD OPENING, DEPOSITING ON THE SURFACES OF SAIDMOLD DEFINING SAID OPENING A CONDUCTIVE LAYER IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SAID MAJOR SURFACE OF SAID DIAL ELEMENT, AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO ELECTROLYTICALLY DEPOSITING SAID METAL IN SAID IMPRESSIONS, FINISHING THE UPPER FACE OF SAID SOLID PROJECTION FORMED BY SAID DEPOSITION TO PROVIDE A FINISHED UPPER FACE OF SAID INDICIUM. 